HAMISH TOCHER FROM DUNDEE FINED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY OFFENSES
In a case that has shocked the community of Dundee, police officer Hamish Tocher, aged 46, faced serious legal consequences after being found guilty of accessing and downloading a significant number of child pornography images.The incident came to light following a complaint from his wife, Lesley Tocher, who reported her concerns to the authorities about her husband's online activities.
Hamish Tocher, who was a member of Tayside Police, was suspended from duty in June 2002 amid the investigation.
Subsequently, he resigned from the police force, ending his career in law enforcement.
The case was brought before Dundee Sheriff Court, where Tocher was formally charged and convicted.
During the court proceedings, it was revealed that police forensic experts conducted an extensive search of Tocher’s personal computer, which was located at his residence in Dundee.
The forensic analysis uncovered a disturbing collection of 374 sexually explicit images involving children, which had been viewed on his computer between March 16 and June 14, 2002.
The court was informed that Tocher had actively searched for and viewed this material, only to delete the files afterward, suggesting an awareness of the illicit nature of his activities.
Lesley Tocher, who has been married to Hamish for 26 years and continues to live with him, testified that she and her husband had shared the habit of browsing the internet for hardcore adult pornography.
However, her concern grew when she discovered that images of children had been downloaded onto their computer.
She expressed her alarm in court, stating, “I was shocked to find that, despite our joint surfing, there were images of children that had been downloaded without my knowledge.” Hamish Tocher admitted to the court that he had developed curiosity about pornography after using the computer for a few months.
He explained, “After three or four months of having the computer, my curiosity got the better of me and I started searching for porn.” He also claimed that he would delete his internet history after each session to prevent his family from discovering his activities, saying, “Every time I had finished, I would go offline and delete all the internet history files, because I didn’t want my family to see anything concerning pornography and I didn’t want an accumulation of information.” Police forensic expert Michael Dickson testified that the evidence clearly indicated Tocher’s deliberate search for specific material, which he viewed before consciously deleting the files to hide his activities.
The court was also told that Tocher’s actions demonstrated a pattern of intent and awareness of the illicit nature of his downloads.
In sentencing, Sheriff Roderick Macleod acknowledged the seriousness of the offense but also noted that the risk of Tocher reoffending appeared to be very low.
As part of his sentence, Tocher was placed on the sex offenders register for a period of five years, a measure intended to monitor and prevent future offenses.
The sheriff emphasized that, despite the gravity of the crime, there was no indication that Tocher posed an immediate danger to the public.
